Find the nearest Beaches in Argyll and Bute
Planning a trip to the Argyll and Bute coast and looking for where the nearest beach is, our beach lists will help you discover the nearest beach to me. Then for each beach, we will answer questions around location, rural or town, sandy or pebble, rockpools, tide times, weather forecast, dog restrictions, bathing water quality, closest beach cafes and provide general information on the beach and its facilities.
When on a beach page use our tools to search nearby Argyll and Bute seaside towns and the surrounding coast for things to see and do or places to stay and eat.
If you are looking for an award-winning beach then you can browse our Blue Flag lists or Seaside Award lists.
Finding the right beach in Argyll and Bute is easy – simply explore the beach links below, to find the closest hit the jump to my location compass or use the search bar to plan where your next Argyll and Bute beach visit should be.
- Peninver beach sits by a small village situated on the east coast of Kintyre, to the north of Campbeltown. The sandy beach is located within Ardnacross Bay, with a view over to the Isle of Arran and on a good day you may get to see seals, dolphins and porpoise. Facilities include car parking and a small caravan park.
- Bellochantuy is a small village on the Kintyre peninsula that sits within Bellochantuy bay. The village is at the end of a long stretch of beach that is a gentle shelving sandy beach. Facilities include car parking and hotel.
- Portkil and Meikleross beaches are remote rock and pebble beaches close together.
- Kilchattan Bay beach sits alongside a small village on the southern tip of Bute. The beach is sandy and extends northwards from the village, that comprises of rows of fisherman houses built out of stone from the local quarry, you still have the original stone pier although the later wooden one has been demolished. The beach is also known as Wee Bay beach. Facilities include grass parking areas along the beach with benches, slipway for small boats and a small post-office in the village with again some small parking areas.
- Kames Bay beach is a pebble and rocky beach with two piers. Parking on the road.
- Machrihanish beach is a popular beach with surfers, 3 miles of sand backed by sand dunes located on the Mull of Kintyre. Facilities include parking, toilets, cafe and shops.
- Ganavan Sands is a rural sandy beach just a few miles to the North of Oban. This is a nice couple of miles coastal walk out of Oban.
- Ettrick Bay has a flat coarse sandy beach on the West coast of Bute and has some good views of Arran. The beach is a wide beach and approximately 1.7 km long and at low tide can stretch out 500m from the high tide mark. At either end of the bay, you have some rocky outcrops and the beach is a popular location for seal watching. Facilities at the beach include a small parking area, tea room and toilets.
- Carradale Bay is a approximately 1 mile of white sand set in a southerly facing bay backed by a small fishing village. The beach is one of the best beaches on the Kintyre Peninsular and never seems to be busy. The beach is backed by a campsite and you have some facilities within the village including shop, bakery and a few hotels.
- Claonaig is a small remote beach alongside the Claonaig ferry terminal. Small car park but no other facilities with the closest facilities being in Claonaig itself a few miles inland. The ferry is seasonal to Arran and the terminal consists only of a car park and bus stop.
- Helensburgh beach is a mix of sand and shingle on the north side of the Clyd. The beach is popular for kitesurfing and windsurfing with a small area of grass behind the beach to help set-up.
- Dunoon West Bay is a sweeping shingle beach backed by a promenade. A little confusing in its name is that the beach faces South into the firth of Clyde.
